Legal and Parliamentary Affairs
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Mamombe and Chimbiri remanded in custody
Zimbabwe’s main opposition party MDC-Alliance legislator Joanna Mamombe and her co-accused Cecilia Chimbiri have been denied bail by a Harare Magistrate who remanded them in custody till 18 February, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) has revealed. In a tweet, ZLHR said, “Harare West MP Hon. Mamombe & Chimbiri return to Chikurubi Maximum Prison after…
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Land barons in running battles with members of the Apostolic sect in Budiriro
By Kunashe Mukande Land barons are wreaking havoc in Harare’s Budiriro high-density suburb and they recently invaded a space earmarked for Johane Masowe Nyenyedzinomwe apostolic members’ housing co-operative. A handful of the church leadership’s representative council (Vadare or Vatariri) were ordered to vacate their worshipping site and threatened with death. Narrating the horrific encounter with the…
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AIPPA Resurrected: New Media Accreditation and Registration Fees Gazetted
By Veritas On 22nd January 2021, the Zimbabwe Media Commission published Access to Information and Protection of Privacy (Registration, Accreditation, and Levy) (Amendment) Regulations, 2021 (No. 1) [SI 22 of 2021]. These regulations purport to set out new fees for accrediting journalists and registering news agencies and media services under the Access to Information and Protection of…
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ZLHR rescues couple jailed over Mnangagwa’s false death report
By Kumbirai Mafunda A Beitbridge couple has been released from prison after Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) members arrested and charged the duo with publishing or communicating falsehoods by sharing a message on a WhatsApp group stating that President Emmerson Mnangagwa had died after being administered a vaccine to treat him of coronavirus. The couple, Vongai…
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Muchenje wants reinstatement as NetOne CEO through back door: High Court
By approaching the High Court seeking resolution of employment disputes and unfair labour practices, embattled former Chief Executive Officer of NetOne, Lazarus Muchenje wants to be reinstated to his former position through the back door, Justice Esther Muremba has ruled. Muchenje had approached the High Court on the basis that the letter of termination of…
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Mining Industry: Indigenisation Through the Back Door
By Veritas Last year’s Budget Bill – the Finance (No. 2) Bill – was published in the Gazette on the 14th December and three days later was passed by the National Assembly and the Senate with very little debate. Although our Bill Watch of 15th December alerting the public to the publication of Bill mentioned…
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Tendai Biti blocking COVID-19 eradication efforts: Zimbabwe Citizen Forum
By Staff Reporter The Zimbabwe Citizen Forum Leader Alex Gakanje has accused the MDC-Alliance Vice president, Tendai Biti of blocking the nation from accessing the Covid-19 relief fund resulting in the deaths and suffering of poor citizens. Speaking at a press conference in Harare on Monday, Gakanje said the current suffering of Zimbabwe and failure…
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Fake COVID-19 tests: Pathlabs Committed to Protecting its Integrity
By Joyce Mukucha As it strives to be a preferred provider of world-class quality, innovative and comprehensive pathological services, the Pathology Laboratories (Pathlabs) has noted with concern the rise in fraudulent activities with regards to the usage of the body’s intellectual property in the form of its letterheads. The letterheads are being used to produce…
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Efficient cooperation between companies and external law firms
The corona pandemic is causing turmoil worldwide and has had a massive impact on economic activity. Internal legal departments are therefore facing new challenges. On the one hand, companies are cutting their budgets for legal services, and on the other hand, the complexity and amount of legal issues is increasing. In-house lawyers have to minimize…
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ZEC acting illegally on suspending electoral activities: ERC
By Joyce Mukucha While welcoming the efforts of the Government in the fight against Covid-19, the Election Resource Centre (ERC) has urged the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to be compliant with the law in arriving at any suspension and postponement of electoral activities. ERC revealed this after noting with concern the continued use of press…
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Ncube Blames State for Cynical Abuse of Power
Alpha Media Holdings Executive Chairman, Trevor Ncube has described actions by the State as a chilling attack on freedom of expression concerning the arrest of Advocate Fadzayi Mahere, Job Sikhala, and Hopewell Chin’ono. He said the three have been charged under a law that was struck down by the Constitutional Court in 2014 resulting in…
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Late Commissioner Shepherd Gwasira’s Productive Farm Downsized
By Staff Reporter The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement intends to withdraw the offer of land made to the late hero and Anti-Corruption Commissioner Shepherd Gwasira in respect of Subdivision 1 measuring 2 757.97HA of CONS of Lot 1 SS Ranch, Rem of SS Ranch and Mete farm in the District of…
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Is it a Crime to Publish False Statement Undermining Public Confidence in a State Agency?
By Veritas Earlier this month reports circulated on social media alleging that a police officer in Harare had struck a woman with his baton and killed a baby strapped to her back. The Police issued a denial, saying that the police officer had tried to stop a kombi by smashing its windscreen. Glass fragments hit a woman…
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Police’s case against Chin’ono has no legal basis
By Dumisani Muleya (Chairman, Zimbabwe National Editors’ Forum) ON 8 January 2021, Zimbabwean police arrested award-winning journalist Hopewell Chin’ono at his home in Harare for allegedly publishing a falsehood or communicating false information which is prejudicial to the state. After that police also arrested opposition leaders Job Sikhala and Fadzayi Mahere on the same charges.…
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Public Health Lock-down Order: Courts, Lawyers, and the Lock-down
By Veritas Two further amendments to the Public Health Lock-down Order have been published in the past few days. The first, in SI 11/2021 of 5th January 2021 [link], declared courts to be an essential service for the purpose of the Order; the second, in SI 13/2021 of 8th January 2021 [link], declared legal practitioners to be performing an essential…
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Online voter registration the panacea during COVID-19: ERC
By Joyce Mukucha In 2017, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) adopted a form of electronic registration model named biometric voter registration (BVR) and during these grave times of Covid-19, the Election Resource Centre (ERC) is calling on the national electoral management body to provide citizens with alternative platforms, different from the norm, for them to…
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Adopt Zero Tolerance on Corruption: Local Authorities Told
The Government of Zimbabwe has warned councillors and senior management of local authorities across Zimbabwe to desist from corrupt activities forthwith when it comes to investigations and criminal cases indicating that such activities will hinder the attainment of Vision 2030 Agenda. This came out after the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works had noted…
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Chin’ono arrested for the third time in six months
By Kumbirai Mafunda Zimbabwean police on Friday 8 January 2021 arrested and detained prominent freelance journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and charged him with publishing or communicating false statements prejudicial to the State after he allegedly tweeted about the abuse of a minor by a police officer .Chin’ono, who is represented by Harrison Nkomo and Paidamoyo Saurombe…
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Women in politics must challenge cyberbullying
By Sindiso Mhlophe Described as the “Democrats’ 2020 social media phenomenon” by various media outlets and research institutes in the just ended United States of America (US) elections, vice-president-elect Kamala Harris was able to generate over 27 million interactions on various social media platforms during the campaign period. Broken down, according to CrowdTangle, Harris, who…
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High Court of Zimbabwe orders Chitungwiza Municipality to upgrade its water treatment plants and sewer systems
High Court of Zimbabwe Justice Mangota on Thursday 17 December 2020 granted an order in an application filed by Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association as an Applicant for public interest purposes. The order interdicts Chitungwiza Municipality from releasing sewer into water bodies, watercourses, streams, tributaries, or any part of the environment. Further, the Municipality was compelled to,…
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Government working towards eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis
Jairos Zondai (not real name) graduated with a degree in veterinary sciences from the University of Zimbabwe at 24 years of age. His mother, a widow, sent him to school as a single parent because his father succumbed to HIV while he was nine years old. Jairos was born with HIV. “I was born with…
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Public Health Lock-down Order: A Puzzling Relaxation of Lock-down
By Veritas In a new SI published yesterday ‒ SI 299A of 2020 [link] ‒ the Minister of Health and Child Care further relaxed the national lock-down. The SI is very short – it has only two clauses – but the amendment it makes may be far-reaching. The Position Prior to This Amendment Section 5(1) of the Lock-down…
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Adopt robust measures to curb online gender-based abuse, Parliament urged
By Sowell Chikwari (Staff Writer) Parliament must adopt robust measures to combat online gender-based harassment and abuse. This was revealed by civil society organizations (CSOs) and stakeholders who attended the Girls Engage Program organised by Plan International Zimbabwe that was held last Friday in the capital, Harare to mark the 16 Days of Activism Against…
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Judge ends Chin’ono’s 17-day detention
By Kumbirai Mafunda HIGH Court Judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi on Friday 20 November 2020 set free Hopewell Chin’ono, a freelance journalist and an anti-corruption campaigner, who had spent 17 days in detention after he was arrested by Zimbabwe Republic Police officers and charged with defeating or obstructing the course of justice. Chin’ono had spent 17…
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Chin’ono denied bail, to make freedom bid at High Court
By Kumbirai Mafunda Lawyers representing freelance journalist Hopewell Chin’ono were on Thursday 12 November 2020 working on filing an appeal at the High Court against Harare Magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa’sdecision to deny him bail. Magistrate Gofa dismissed Chin’ono’s application for bail and ruled that the award-winning film-maker had a propensity to commit offences and hence should…
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State in an abortive bid to resurrect Mugabe 2010 insult case
By Kumbirai Mafunda THE National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) recently attempted to resuscitate a case in which a senior MDC-Alliance party official was accused of undermining authority of or insulting Zimbabwe’s late former leader Robert Mugabe ten years ago. Officials at NPA based in Bindura summoned Gilbert Kagodora, a lieutenant of opposition MDC-Alliance party leader Nelson…
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Ken Sharpe’s case backfires
By Anyway Yotamu The land dispute between Ukraine based Harare businessman, Kenneth Raydone Sharpe and his former business partner George Katsimberis opened a can of worms by exposing the City of Harare’s housing department and Pokugara Propeties’ corrupt tendencies. This comes at a time when the government is weeding out land barons across the country.…
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ZESN participates in knowledge sharing workshop on electoral reforms with POLAD
The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) attended the Governance and Legislative Agenda Capacity Building workshop hosted by the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD). The workshop was held in Bulawayo on the 31st of October and the 1st of November 2020. The objective of the meeting was to impart information…
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Ken Sharpe and associates, Pokugara Properties face fresh criminal charges
By Anyway Yotamu Harare businessman Kenneth Raydone Sharpe also known as Ken Sharpe together with Michael Van Blerk, Mandla Marlone Ndebele and Pokugara Properties have been hauled before the Magistrates court facing fresh criminal charges. The state, led by Zivanai Macharaga of Special Anti-Corruption Unit (SACU) in the Office of the President has summoned the…
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Kurauone slaps Govt with RTGS$2 million lawsuit over unlawful arrest, detention
By Kumbirai Mafunda MDC-Alliance party youth leader Godfrey Kurauone has slapped President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government and other accomplices with an RTGS$2.4 million lawsuit over his unlawful arrest, detention, and malicious prosecution which resulted in him spending more than 40 days in prison before he was acquitted. Kurauone, who serves as the National Organising Secretary for…
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Stop police brutality against women: LEAD President Linda Masarira
In a letter addressed to Godwin Matanga, the Zimbabwe Republic Police Commissioner-General, Linda Masarira, the President of LEAD Party has castigated the brutality and unfair treatment of women by the law enforcers. Below, Spiked Online Media reproduces the strongly worded letter: Open Letter to Police Commissioner-General 16 October 2020 Dear CG Matanga It is with…
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Vulnerable groups air their grievances during Budget Consultations
By Samantha Sibanda Representatives of vulnerable groups are calling on the government to prioritize their needs as budget consultations gather momentum. The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Budget, Finance, and Economic Development and members of the expanded Sustainable Development Goals began the National Budget Consultations on Monday 12 October 2020 with the four teams (A to…
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High Court orders the release of Joanah Mamombe from prison
By Kumbirai Mafunda HIGH Court Judge Justice Esther Muremba on Wednesday 7 October 2020 ordered the release from prison of Harare West constituency legislator Hon. Joanah Mamombe, where she had been incarcerated for close to two weeks on the orders of Harare Magistrate Bianca Makwande. Magistrate Makwande on Thursday 24 September 2020 ordered Hon. Mamombe…
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State withdraws charges against lawyer Dumisani Dube
By Kumbirai Mafunda THE National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has withdrawn charges against Dumisani Dube, a Bulawayo-based lawyer, who was arrested in June and charged with defeating or obstructing the course of justice. Dube was arrested on 6 June 2020 by Zimbabwe Republic Police members and charged with contravening Section 184 of the Criminal Law (Codification…
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Public Health COVID-19 Regulations and Lock-down Order: More Amendments
By Veritas In Bill Watch 57 of 2020 [link] and 61 of 2020 [link], we analysed the Public Health (COVID-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment) (National Lockdown) (No. 2) Order [SI 200 of 2020] and the amendments made to it. Then last Wednesday the Minister of Health and Child Care published further amendments to the Order in SI 223 of 2020 [link], and yesterday…
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Indefinite suspension of by-elections undercuts the Constitution: ZESN
The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) has expressed concern over the indefinite suspension of by-elections by Hon Constantino Chiwenga, the Minister of Health and Child Care who is also the Vice President of the Republic of Zimbabwe. The independent electoral body said the move taken as a health emergency COVID-19 response undercuts Constitutional principles on…
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The Zimbabwe Media Commission Bill
By Veritas The Zimbabwe Media Commission Bill [link] was published in August last year and, after public hearings conducted by the parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Information, Media and Broadcasting Services [the committee’s report can be accessed on the Veritas website ‒ link], it is currently going through its Committee Stage in the National Assembly. The responsible Minister has tabled amendments…
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City of Harare, Pokugara Properties up for perjury
By Anyway Yotamu Embattled Harare Town Clerk Hosiah Chisango, representing the City of Harare has been jointly arraigned before the Magistrates Court together with Michael John Van Blerk representing Pokugara Properties (PVT) LTD facing fresh criminal charges of perjury. According to the summons, the two are to appear in court on the 28th of September…
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Environmental issues must be taken seriously to achieve vision 2030: Stakeholders
By Anyway Yotamu Zimbabwe is a low-income country whose economy and livelihoods depend hugely on natural resources with an ambition to leapfrog it to a middle-income economy by 2030. The backbone sectors namely mining, manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism rely heavily on forest, land, and water resources for inputs to the production of goods and services.…
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Top detectives nabbed over diamonds racket
Own Correspondent TWO senior police detectives have been arrested over a US$3000 diamonds smuggling racket. Joseph Mlambo, 36, an assistant inspector was arrested for possession of the precious stones and resisting arrest, and his superior Felix Machaka, 44, was nabbed for releasing him after his initial arrest by their juniors. They have since appeared at…
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Assault of journalists and students roundly condemned
The attack of journalists and the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) President, Takudzwa Ngadziore by suspected state security agents while addressing the media near Impala Car Rental on September 18, 2020, has been roundly condemned. The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) said it was appalled by the continued crackdown on dissent by the Zimbabwean government.…
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Matanga pays for ZRP’s misdemeanours
By Kumbirai Mafunda A Harare Magistrate has ordered Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga to pay more than RTGS$50 000 to a Mazowe man as compensation for damages to his vehicle, which was burnt to ashes in 2019 by some law enforcement agents, who were evicting illegal miners at Jumbo Mine in Mazowe, in…
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Court ends Godfrey Kurauone’s lengthy detention, acquits journalists
By Kumbirai Mafunda MASVINGO Magistrate Patience Madondo on Thursday 10 September 2020 ended the lengthy detention of Ward 4 Councillor Godfrey Kurauone, who spent more than 40 days in detention after he was arrested and charged with obstructing the free movement of traffic during a protest held in July. Kurauone, who was represented by Martin…
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Harare business partners in a wrangle over land worth nearly US$20 million
By Anyway Yotamu Harare businessman Mr George Katsimberis has taken his Zimbabwean business partner based in Ukraine Mr Kenneth Sharpe to High Court over 21 hectares land wrangle. Kenneth Sharpe is being sued over US$18 million by his business partner, who claims he has lost millions of United States dollars in three land development joint…
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Jacob Ngarivhume granted $50 000 bail
Jacob Ngarivhume, the leader of opposition party Transform Zimbabwe who is facing charges of inciting people to overthrow the government through constitutional means has been granted bail. Ngarivhume has spent 45 days in prison as his previous bids on getting bail were unsuccessful. Justice Tawanda Chitapi read the judgment today on behalf of Justice Siyabona…